This invention generally relates to multiple function document devices. More specifically, this invention relates to the control of print jobs sent across a network or I/O port to a printer having an attached document scanner when a walk-up user submits a copy job to the scanner attached to the printer for copying.
The use of multiple function document devices has increased over the last few decades. Such devices combine the usefulness of separate document devices into one integral unit. Examples of document devices commonly combined include printers, copiers, optical scanners, medical imaging devices, satellite imaging devices, scientific data collection devices and facsimile machines.
In the present instance, a printer that receives print jobs sent across a network or I/O port is combined with a document scanner, thereby giving the user of the printer the option of scanning a document and printing a copy of this scanned image using the printer. This combination results in a xe2x80x9cprinter/scannerxe2x80x9d device. Such printer/scanner devices also include photocopiers that can receive print jobs sent across a network or I/O port. In general, printer/scanner devices are well known to those skilled in art, and by consumers.
One major drawback with current printer/scannners has been the need for generally instant access to the scanner by a walk-up user needing to make a copy of a document. Commonly, such a user will approach the printer/scanner, intending to make a quick copy job of a document, only to find that another user has sent a currently printing print job to the printer. Current printer/scanners often work on a first-come-first-served basis with respect to jobs. Such job contention often results in the walk-up user needing to wait for the print job or jobs to finish before the walk-up user can make a copy of the document. Considering the time required to print a long document or multiple copies of a document, waiting for the printer to finish printing can result in frustration to the walk-up user, and a loss of productivity to the employer as the walk-up user is forced to stand at the printer/scanner awaiting his or her turn to use the printer/scanner.
The current solution, has been to allow the user to copy his or her document after the printing of the current print job is complete and before the next print job starts. However, this often proves unsatisfactory where the document being printed is long or consists of multiple copies, resulting in the walk-up user needing to wait for an amount of time as long as minutes for the current print job to complete.
What is needed is a method and apparatus allowing a walk-up user to interrupt a print job to make a copy where the interruption can take place at a job boundary, a mopy boundary or at a page boundary. A xe2x80x9cjob boundaryxe2x80x9d is the boundary between subsequent print jobs. A xe2x80x9cmopy boundaryxe2x80x9d is the boundary between multiple original prints (xe2x80x9cmopiesxe2x80x9d). A xe2x80x9cmopyxe2x80x9d exists where a user requests that a pair (or more) of prints be made of the same document. The xe2x80x9cmopy boundaryxe2x80x9d exists between the end of a first mopy print of the document and the beginning of a second mopy print of the document. Finally, a xe2x80x9cpage boundaryxe2x80x9d is the boundary between individual pages of a particular print or mopy job request, for instance the page boundary between page 1 and page 2 of a multi-page print job.
Many references disclose printer/scanners or copiers having the ability to interrupt a job. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,244 (Andrews et al.) discloses a copy production machine having a print mode for making copies under automatic control interruptible by a copy mode of making copies.
Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,73 (Gauronski et al.) which generally discloses a copier which has copy jobs that can be interrupted to perform a special copy job. The Gauronski, et al. patent discloses a job interrupt process for an electronic printer comprising the steps of: temporarily interrupting scanning of the job currently being scanned to commence scanning of a special job; continuing printing of the job then in process; when scanning of the special job is completed or at least sufficient to enable printing of the special job to be started, interrupting printing of the job then in process to start printing the special job; resuming scanning of the job that was interrupted when scanning of the special job is completed; and resuming printing of the job that was interrupted when printing of the special job is completed.
Another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,016 (Kashiwagi et al.), discloses a multi-function image processing system allowing the user to change the priority of pending job tasks in order to print or copy a higher priority job before a lower priority job. The Kashiwagi et al. patent does not disclose a method or apparatus of interruption at a page boundary.
Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,009 (Hansen) which discloses a copier/printer operating with interrupts. The Hansen copier/printer is able to allow a higher priority print job to interrupt a lower priority copy job and vice versa. The Hansen patent does not disclose a method or apparatus of interruption at a page boundary.
A further example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,36 (Hisatke), which discloses a multi-function image forming apparatus which allows a smaller, later print job to be printed before a larger, earlier print job. The Histake patent does not allow the interruption to take place in the middle of the print job.
Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,847,587 (Yajima et al.), which discloses scanner/printer which is able to suspend the printing of a copy job in order to print higher priority print jobs. The Yajima et al. patent does not allow the interruption to take place in the middle of a copy job or print job.
In contrast to these inventions, the present invention discloses a job interrupt process for a multiple function document device comprising the steps of: sensing the request by a user to scan and make a copy of a document (copy job); determining whether a print job is in progress; interrupting said print job if copy job has a higher priority than said print job; determining whether the print job and the copy job can be performed simultaneously; determining whether the print job or the copy job is using or intends to use a finishing device; and, if necessary, interrupting the print job with a copy job at a job boundary, a mopy boundary or a page boundary.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and has an object of providing a method and an apparatus for allowing a walk-up user to interrupt a print job at a job boundary, at a mopy boundary or at a page boundary to reduce the user""s waiting time and to improve productivity.
Another object of the present invention is the ability to save state, such as page boundary information, for the printing job in either RAM or out on hard disk in order to allow the copy job to interrupt (or vice versa).
Yet another object of the present invention is to start the copy job using resources tucked away or by first determining if enough resources are available. If enough resources are not available, the resources may be readjusted by moving RAM resources to disk.
Another object of the present invention is that resumption of operation is done paying special attention to things that may have changed during the copy job, for instance, paper size, color, etc.
Another object of the present invention is that different completed jobs are discharged into different discharge trays or bins.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the objects and in accordance with the purposes of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the multiple function document device comprises: an image forming system for printing an image on media, said image forming system able to receive print jobs from a network or an attached computer, said image forming system coupled to accessory device, said accessory device for accepting and scanning said copy job, said accessory device causing the image forming device to print said image.